The US says it opposes the International Criminal Court's investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/israel-icc-war-crimes-gaza-us-z6p08j7ch



The US has said it opposes the International Criminal Court’s investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza after reports the court was poised to issue arrest warrants against Binyamin Netanyahu and other officials. Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is understood to have asked President Biden to block the inquiry. The court, which is based in The Hague, is believed to be considering warrants for the arrest of Netanyahu; Yoav Gallant, his defence minister; and Herzi Halevi, the Israel Defence Forces chief of staff.


Despite public dissent at Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict over recent weeks, the Biden administration offered a public show of support for him on Monday. “We’ve been really clear about the ICC investigation,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said. “We do not support it. We don’t believe that they have the jurisdiction.” Neither Israel nor the United States are among the court’s 124 member states. “Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self defence,” Netanyahu wrote on Twitter/X last week. “While the ICC will not affect Israel’s actions, it would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression.”

Behind the scenes, however, the prime minister is reported to be increasingly concerned that the court could hold him personally accountable for the spiralling death toll in Gaza and for mounting allegations of war crimes by Israeli troops. Almost 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October, according to the latest figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. Netanyahu voiced his concern about the investigation during a phone call with Biden on Sunday, in which the two leaders discussed the latest hostage negotiations with Hamas and efforts to broker a ceasefire. Israeli officials told Axios that the prime minister asked Biden personally to help prevent the court from issuing warrants against him and other senior officials.

US officials have indicated that they remain uncertain if warrants are imminent, but have revealed that the prosecutor’s office is under pressure to take action against Israel from several member states and activist groups, Axios reported. Members of Congress have warned that any ICC arrest warrants for Israeli officials will be met with US retaliation. Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker, said that a move targeting Israel would be “disgraceful” and demanded that the Biden administration should “use every available tool to prevent such an abomination”. “If unchallenged by the Biden administration, the ICC could create and assume unprecedented power to issue arrest warrants against American political leaders, American diplomats, and American military personnel,” Johnson said in a statement.

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